One of the most surprising deals of the year is certainly Alexander Isak at Newcastle.
An unexpected choice but in reality in the club's plans for some time, the unexpected timing of a transfer completed in 48 hours by the Newcastle board with Real Sociedad for a double record: Isak at Newcastle in fact becomes historical as the club record fee for the Magpies and the biggest sale ever for Real Sociedad.
The deal was completed for € 65m guaranteed fee, € 5m in add-ons and also a sell-on clause which was the subject of the last 24 hours of negotiations.
It will be around 10% in favor of the Spanish club for the future sale of Alexander to any European club, an important part of an agreement that is now completed and signed after an idea by Eddie Howe and the Newcastle board already included at the top of the list since April.
What are the secrets of this deal? Meanwhile, Newcastle have explored many options for a new striker since last January: the dream was Darwin Nunez but it was not possible to make a proposal because in addition to the €100m package requested by Benfica, the player only always wanted Champions League football.
That's why Newcastle have been moving to other targets for months, including Alexander Isak who has always been high on the Magpies list because he is highly regarded by Eddie Howe.
The belief within the club is that Isak can be one of the best strikers in the world within a few years, because he has already been tested internationally with Sweden, in two difficult leagues such as Real Sociedad and Borussia Dortmund, but also with huge potential to explode in the Premier League.
Physicality, quality, talent: Newcastle are sure that Alexander is an excellent investment for present and future, a choice made by manager Howe together with the board who wanted to support his idea 100%.
It was not easy to proceed with this negotiation because Real Sociedad tried to keep Isak in every way. In July, Newcastle approached the Spanish club to open a negotiation but the response was negative.
Eddie Howe confirms Isak deal: “He is very close, yes. The English game will suit his profile, so we’ve got an exciting player”. ⚪️⚫️ #NUFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 26, 2022
On Dubravka and Man Utd: “There has been contact with the clubs. I'm reluctant to lose him but it’s a decision that's out of my hands”. pic.twitter.com/ysuLnG4osX
Yet, the English club has given willingness to an important proposal that would have included most of the summer budget for the Magpies; but... nothing to do, while Alexander Isak was tempted there was no possibility to negotiate with Real Sociedad for a fee around € 50m, the one they had in mind at Newcastle when the discussions for the Swedish striker began.
It is never easy to negotiate with Real Sociedad because they protect their best players and only sell them on important terms.
Newcastle did not want to give up but this time with a different strategy: they started negotiating for other players including James Maddison without success, then they returned convinced to contact Real Sociedad to complete the deal quickly.
Timing was a key factor in this story: Newcastle feared that other top Premier League clubs might enter negotiations for Alexander Isak, as Chelsea and Manchester United were still looking for a new striker on the market in those days.
For this reason the deal remained secret until the Newcastle board, led by Dan Ashworth, flew to Spain to complete the deal with Real Sociedad in 24/48 hours.
The deal was not easy but Newcastle's decision to raise the offer beyond € 55 / 60m made the difference, and the breakthrough of this story that had lasted for months was born.
Alexander Isak quickly found a personal terms agreement with the Magpies for a long-term contract, an important salary to say yes to the Newcastle project and also a direct call with Eddie Howe to make a final agreement with all the parties involved.
A surprising deal that was completed with Alexander Isak's mission to England on Thursday morning: medical tests completed in Newcastle, a final farewell to his teammates from Real Sociedad and then signing with his new club.
A signing that is a statement for the Magpies and their project, Alexander Isak is the new star.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 26th August 2022
